At Least the Angels Are Listening

Saturday, August 27, 2011

“And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,” (Ephesians 3:9,10 KJV).

In the Old Testament, the Four Gospel Records, and the first eight chapters of Acts, God spoke of His purpose and plan for the earth. That prophetic program focused on the nation Israel and an earthly kingdom (Matthew 25:34) “which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began (Acts 3:21).

But, during that time, God kept a secret, “the mystery,” “the hidden wisdom” (1 Corinthians 2:7,8). When the ascended Lord Jesus Christ saved Saul of Tarsus and made him Paul the Apostle in Acts chapter 9, the Lord revealed that information to Paul: “the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest…” (Romans 16:25,26a).

Paul’s epistles alone reveal this mystery (secret) program (Ephesians 3:1-9; Colossians 1:24-27). Paul’s epistles of Romans through Philemon speak of God’s purpose and program for the heaven, which encompasses our present-day Dispensation of Grace, a heavenly kingdom, and the Church the Body of Christ (Ephesians 2:6,7).

According to today’s Scripture, we members of the Body of Christ share the goal of the Apostle Paul: “to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery….” Our goal is not only to proclaim to people this now-revealed information in Paul’s epistles, but also to make it known to “the principalities and powers in heavenly places.”

God’s angels observe us Christians. They understand what God is doing today by listening to us teach and preach God’s Word rightly divided. While most church members care not to listen to the rightly divided King James Bible, and the denominationalists dislike us for exposing their church tradition, at least the angels are listening to us. 🙂

Must You Bless the Jew for God to Bless You?

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

“Now the LORD had said unto Abram…And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:1,3 KJV).

Many preachers use today’s Scripture to argue that as long as the United States blesses and supports Israel, then God will bless us. If we turn our backs on Israel, it is said that we will be cursed of God. Today’s Scripture does teach that, right?

Our Apostle Paul writes that national Israel is “fallen,” “cast away,” and “[spiritually] blinded” in this the Dispensation of Grace (Romans 11:11,15,25). How could God bless us for us blessing Israel when God Himself says that national Israel does not exist today? Genesis 12:3 is true, in Israel’s program.

Currently, Jews need the same salvation in Christ Jesus that we Gentiles need (Romans 3:9-20). I love Jews because God loves them, but I do not love them to receive God’s blessing. I love Jews because God died to save them just as much as He died to save me, a Gentile!

How does God bless us today? On the basis of our efforts? No. God does not deal with us via a performance-based acceptance system like He dealt with Israel in time past. In Israel’s program, people had to perform in order to get God’s blessings—Genesis 12:3 fits in Israel’s program, not ours.

Today, Paul writes that if we have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father “hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). We are blessed in Christ because of what He has done, not because we bless Israel.

God is not cursing anyone today because the Bible says that God has reconciled the world unto Himself through the cross work of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). The Bible says that God is not imputing trespasses unto anyone. Today, God’s attitude toward the world is grace and peace, not anger and judgment. By the way, if God were cursing those who hate Israel today, then why are many anti-Israel nations prospering?